Let the Devil In
by The Infamous Man
Summary: Side-story to Amazing Fantasy. Katsuki Bakugou once had it all: a promising Hero career, an amazing Quirk, admirers, and the intelligence and strength to get whatever he wanted. But one twist of fate caused him to lose it all. The world decided he was a loser. But something fell from the sky, giving him purpose. He is now not just some face in the crowd. Now... they are VENOM!


**_Earth 2018.688:_**

* * *

Kohei Oda's high school experience was not going as planned.

He and Masashi Kubo had gone to the same school, more out of coincidence than anything else. But when they found out their plan had been simple: stick together and make it clear that they were the ones everyone had to answer to. If they needed some change for lunch their new schoolmates would be glad to give it. If they wanted to kick the school nerd over for a laugh, people would let them without batting an eye. If they want to hang out with the girls they couldn't say no.

They had spent years in their old school doing just that, and everyone let them. They were not to be fucked with.

But, reality came crashing down when, without their leader, it was made clear that they were at the bottom of the social totem pole. The girls told them to screw off, their new schoolmates would go straight to their senior friends when cornered, and in one unfortunate case, the resident nerd was best friends with the star athlete of the school.

A black eye, a few bruises, and wounded pride were keen reminders of the consequences of their stunts.

"This sucks…" Masashi moaned, taking another sip of the beer they 'borrowed' from Kohei's dad. "Not even the delinquents want to hang out with us!"

"Yeah, I was visiting them with you so don't remind me." Kohei took another peek out of the alley, keeping an eye for cops or Heroes. They had done rock-paper-scissors for who had 'lookout duty'. "We fucked up."

"How?!"

Kohei sighed. His friend was many things, but 'bright' wasn't one of them. "We got by because we followed Bakugou around. Nobody fucked with him, and by extension nobody fucked with us."

Masashi's face looked like he bit onto a nasty-tasting piece of fruit. "Come on, man. Did you seriously want to spend another couple of years clinging onto an asshole like him again?"

"Better than being nobodies that not even the outcasts wanna talk to." But it was too late in any case. They just had to keep their heads down until everyone at school forgot about them. They weren't brave by any stretch of the imagination, but they were tenacious and Kohei had more brains than either Masashi or his former 'leader' knew. "Just don't start anything for a month or two and everything will be all ri-."

Kohei stopped when he caught a glimpse of a certain someone in the crowd passing by the alleyway. It was a boy their age wearing a black hoodie with orange stripes running down the shoulders. He was chowing down on a chocolate bar, the wrapper looking as if it had been viciously torn open.

Although the hoodie covered most of his head, There were tufts of spiked blond hair peeking out from the top, allowing Kohei to see a familiar, perpetually pissed-off face.

"Holy shit…"

It was Katsuki Bakugou, his former 'leader' who he hadn't seen for close to a year.

Kohei grinned. Things were starting to look up. "I think I found a way to pass the time."

"Huh?"

"Dump the beer and follow me."

Shrugging, Masashi did just that and tossed the beer cans into a dumpster. They followed just behind Bakugou, who was continuing to enjoy his snack. While the regular sounds of the city made eavesdropping difficult, Kohei could hear Bakugou muttering to himself.

"...here or not?"

"Keep your shit together. I'll open another one soon."

"I'm not eating a fuckin' dog!"

"Argh, go fuck yourself, goop!"

Kohei frowned at that. He knew Bakugou lost his shit on Midoriya, seriously wailing on him before being pulled away by his mom on that day he got busted, but Bakugou was never one to talk to himself.

Still, that just gave him more ammunition.

Once Bakugou turned a sharp right into an alley, Kohei and Masashi followed him. The explosive teen turned up his nose and sniffed the air, his lips curling in dissatisfaction.

"The shithead's not here…!"

Deciding now was the time for a reunion, Kohei coughed. "Long time no see, Bakugou!"

Bakugou's head snapped in their direction and his eyes narrowed, partly in suspicion… and partly in contempt. "You two…"

"Yup, it's us!" Kohei strutted over to his former classmate and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "How've you been, man! Haven't heard you since the day you got busted!"

Bakugou shoved him off. "None of your fuckin' business!"

"Ah, same old Bakugou…" He looked to Masashi, "Remember junior high? That's how almost all of our talks went! I'd say somethin' funny, he'd curse us out or call us stupid… hilarious little back-and-forth right?"

"Yeah, yeah it was pretty funny!" Masashi giggled in delight. "Then I'd pass out the booze and cigarettes and we'd have a laugh before heading to the arcade!"

"Yeah, that's right…"

"I don't have to hear this shit." Bakugou put his hands into his sweatshirt's pockets. "Fuck off. I've got business here and I've got nothin' to share with you fuckin' trait…"

"Now, now." Kohei placed his right hand on Bakugou's shoulder, giving his best look of pure innocence. "No need to insult us, since you weren't smart enough to book it when Midoriya stuck his nose in our business."

Bakugou narrowed his eyes. "Warnin' you right…"

Kohei gave Bakugou a hard shove before he finished. Bakugou didn't expect the gesture and fell right on his ass. Masashi began to cackle like a hyena. "Oh, I'm so sorry Bakugou-sama! My mistake!" Kohei savagely kicked Bakugou in the stomach. He gasped out in pain, but quickly grabbed onto Kohei's shoe with both hands. "Uh-uh! Careful now!"

"Yeah! Don't wanna let the cops know you got into a fight!" Masashi supplied, and Bakugou simply glared at them.

Kohei smirked. "That's right. You wanna be on your best behavior,don't you? Lest you get into even deeper shit than you already have."

Kohei's former 'leader' let go of his shoe, and he decided to respond to the explosive teen's generosity by wiping the bottom of it on his sweatshirt.

He had never liked Bakugou. Oh sure, he and Masashi hung around him. Most of the kids at school did or tried to. But they never actually cared for Bakugou. Bakugou was just too damn full of himself. He knew he was athletic, smart, and intimidating. He bragged about it at any given opportunity, proudly declaring he was going to be the greatest Hero and that everyone else were extras relegated to obscurity.

Oh yes, Kohei hated Bakugou's guts. But he had also seen opportunity. Opportunity to rise to the top of the social ladder by riding on Bakugou's coattails. Sure, he wanted to teach Bakugou a lesson, but he was smart enough to know trying it would get his ass kicked.

How the tables have turned after one gigantic fuckup.

"Not now…" Kohei paused and watched Bakugou muttering to himself, his face twitching and his head making small jerking motions to the left. "Stay the fuck out of this… I can handle myself against these two worthless extras!"

"Hey, why are ya talkin' to yourself, Bakugou?" Masashi questioned, leaning down and giving Bakugou a sadistic grin. "Have ya finally snapped? Did all those little temper-tantrums and explosions fry your brain?"

Despite how slow Masashi was, he did manage to come up with a witty line every now and then.

"Still calling us extras, huh? That's rich comin' from a guy who's gotta settle for Hotha High since no Hero school wants to take ya!" Kohei then realized the perfect line to get under Mr. High-and-Mighty's skin. "Say, Masashi… ya remember seein' Midoriya's stunts during U.A's Sports Festival?"

Bakugou's head snapped up.

"Yeah, that was pretty crazy. Riding on that explosion, creating huge amounts of force by snapping his fingers…" Masashi laughed. "I'm kinda surprised he didn't win!"

"Shut up about Deku!" Bakugou was on his feet, his eyes blazing and his teeth bared in a feral rage. "I don't wanna hear about what that fucker is doing! This is between you and…!"

"Man, were we wrong about him not having a Quirk!" Kohei tapped his chin, humming in mock wonder. "Ya know… maybe we should've hung around him instead of you! Sure, he was a stick in the mud, but he was smart and knew when to duck out when he saw trouble." Kohei smirked. "He definitely wouldn't have fucked up as much as you, a nobody who is going to a nobody school. I bet we could've gone far…"

Bakugou went silent, his head dropping and his hood obscuring his face from Kohei's vision.

"What? Got nothin' to say? Where's all that big talk, Bakugou?"

Kohei said these words confidently, but he also knew something was wrong. Bakugou never got this quiet when he was royally pissed about something. He'd shout, rave, or try to punch something. Katsuki Bakugou didn't even know the definition of 'quiet'.

So why was he clamming up now, especially since he hit the Midoriya button?

He had to keep pressing on. This wasn't just for fun anymore. Now it was to make this nagging fear go away.

"It's a damn shame that the 'Quirkless loser' got the best of the 'awesome' Bakugou, isn't it? And all he had to do was tell ya to quit smoki-"

Kohei was stopped when something clamped itself around his throat. He croaked as he felt himself be pushed back. He tried to speak, but his throat had been squeezed shut by this vice-like grip.

He glanced down and saw the thing wrapped around his neck was Bakugou's left hand.

A quick look told him that Masashi's throat was in their former leader's right hand. They were being lifted off the ground as if it were nothing, and when Kohei looked to Bakugou so see if he was straining…

He wanted to scream, but couldn't. Something was coming out of the pores in Bakugou's skin, an inky black but thick liquid. Bakugou's eyes rolled back as white liquid poured out from underneath the eyelids and corners. It slowly coated his face and hair. Black ooze came from Bakugou's mouth before covering it completely.

Kohei whimpered when the black substance that now looked so much like skin covered Bakugou's entire head, sharpening his hair into an array of jagged stalagmites. The white created two teardrop 'eyes' that were both spiked and frayed at the ends, not unlike how a drop of food coloring gets when dipped into a glass of water.

But the worst was when it opened its mouth.

At first it was just a mouthless horror, but slowly a crack began to form. A grin that stretched from what was once Bakugou's ears opened to reveal rows upon rows of teeth, each looking sharp enough to be a surgeon's scalpel. Green saliva oozed out from the fanged maw and began to drip onto the ground underneath, and a long tongue lolled out.

The tongue, thick and long enough to be half the size of Kohei's arm, stretched out and slobbered his face.

Kohei couldn't help it.

He pissed himself and felt the warm liquid drip down his leg.

**_"You shitters…" _**The thing with horrible teeth, the thing with a nightmare face, the thing that must've been a Villain because what else could this monster be, spoke in two voices. One that was Bakugou's… and one that was deeper and crueler. **_"You could've left us alone… but no. You had to be shitters. Had to keep pushing the buttons and open doors better left closed." _**It brought its tongue from Kohei's face and began slowly dragging across Masashi, who let out only a weak moan. Kohei tried to grab the arm choking him, to scratch it, to do something as spots formed in his vision. "**_Well? How many? How many do you hurt with this bullshit routine? Well, it doesn't matter. After all, we're feeling… peckish…" _**

It opened its mouth wide, and Kohei tried harder to free himself.

This was it. He was going to die. He didn't want this, but it was happening. Whatever this monster was… it would kill him, and nothing would be able to stop it.

It then let out a sigh.**_ "But… we're on a timetable."_** And like that, it dropped Kohei and Masashi. Kohei coughed as he clutched his throat while Masashi threw up.**_ "Now, if we hear you're trying this shit on other people… we'll move you up the list."_**

Kohei stared in horror at this thing that only grinned at him. List? There was a list? This monster… it was targeting him and Masashi already!? "N-No…"

**_"Oh, don't worry. You're at the very bottom. We've got a long ways to go before we reach you."_** Its grin seemed to grow even wider, if that was possible.**_ 'Oh, and don't bother telling the cops or Heroes. Because then… we'll get angry. And when we're angry, we get hungry." _**It leaned forward and breathed in their faces. **_"Now run along, you shitters." _**

It finished this off with an animalistic roar, something like a lion's… if it were mixed with a thousand other unspeakable horrors. He and Masashi shrieked and ran as fast as their feet could carry them, their faces pale with tears running down their cheeks and snot coming from their noses. Everyone gave them a wide berth, wondering what the hell had scared these kids so much.

They wouldn't go to school the next day or several days after that, just locking themselves in their rooms with the lights on, curled up in a ball stammering to themselves one word:

"Monster…"

But in the alley, the black and white liquid receded back into Katsuki Bakugou's body. He grimaced and clenched his fists. "Why the fuck did you do that!?"

**_"They were annoying."_** The voice of his 'partner' said in his head.**_ "I didn't like how they were talking to you. To us."_**

"They were nobodies." Bakugou reached into his sweatshirt pocket and took out a chocolate bar. Ripping it open, he munched on the candy as he walked out of the alley. "We don't need to waste our time on the likes of them."

**_"Hrm."_**

"Oh, and what was with that whole 'list' bullshit?"

**_"I thought it would be cool. Made both of them piss themselves."_**

Bakugou grunted. "Don't do it again. Besides… we both know we've got bigger fish to fry. Now tell me where else this shithead's been."

Soon, Katsuki Bakugou blended back into the crowd, mumbling to himself and twitching from time to time.

People paid him no mind.

After all… crazy naturally bloomed in a city.

In all shapes and forms…

* * *

**_Let the Devil In_**

* * *

_Okay, let's get this shit over with one last time._

_My name is Katsuki Bakugou. I was born with a Quirk that let me sweat out nitroglycerin from my palms. That meant I could make explosions in my hands and blow shit up. I was the strongest kid in school. Not only that, but I was also the smartest and bravest. If I wanted something, I got it. If I wanted to go somewhere, I did it without a second thought. _

_All my life, I was told that I would be a great Hero._

_And it made sense. I was smart and strong because I was awesome. I would become a Hero because everyone else was fuckin' lame._

_I could do whatever I want, because I deserved it._

**_Yeah, and look how that turned out._**

_Shut up! Anyways, I hung out with these extras because they were useful for some things. They helped me score booze and cigarettes, shit that only grown-ups got and I deserved. I made sure to be careful. If I wasn't, then my chances of getting into U.A High were shot._

**_Oh, stop whining about that! If they were worth a damn they would've taken you in regardless. What's the big deal over some alcohol and cigarettes? They weren't killing you! At least… not yet._**

_It mattered to me! And it mattered to this shithead Quirkless nerd called Deku, who HAD to stick his nose into my business! Had to scare off those two extras who abandoned me! He had to get up in my face to lecture me, and make me loud enough for a cop to come over!_

_Everyone saw me get dragged to the principal's office who helped let it slide, because I gave the school a good name. My mom, the damn hag, was the one to give me shit over it. She said I was blowing it, throwing everything I wanted down the drain. That even if the school was willing to let it slide, she sure as shit wouldn't._

_Then, to put a cherry on top of a shitty day, Deku tried to apologize. _

_Apologize to me with those goddamn eyes full of pity! As if he had any damn right to pity **me!**_

_Everything went kinda red, and by the time I came back to my senses… my mom was screaming and pulling me back. Deku was on the ground, bleeding and burned…_

_I was suspended for that, Deku's shitty parents sued mine and the school, and then videos showing how I was acting popped up on social media. Smoking, drinking, picking on Deku…_

_It was over. I couldn't get into U.A even if I was the only student worth a damn. No other Hero school would even touch me because of all that shit._

_I went for a walk at night to clear my head. It was all Deku's fault. He and those worthless extras ruined everything. I was cursing them and the world…_

_Then something came out of the sky, crashing into the forest nearby and shaking the ground. I didn't think and rushed into it to find out what had gone wrong._

_It was a fuckin' spaceship, broken and burnin' with a blown hatch and a charred body sprawled on the ground. _

_I wasn't thinking when I tried to go, to see if anybody needed help besides the charred guy who was obviously dead._

**_Eddie… His name was Eddie Brock, and you best remember it you brat!_**

_Whatever. Anyways, somethin' came out of his body. It was the goop…_

**_GOOP!? I'm a symbiote! _**

_It bonded to me and called itself Venom. It needed a host to survive, and thank fuckin' luck I was a perfect host. We both had scores to settle, but if I wanted it to help me, I needed to help Venom find a fuckin' psycho that hitched a ride on the ship and survived._

_So for the past few months I've…_

**_We've..._**

_Shut the fuck up! I'm the one telling the story!_

**_You're doing a shitty job._**

_WE'VE been the one and only Venom._

**_Nailed it._**

_ShutupshutupSHUTUP!_

* * *

"Admit it. You don't know where the fuck this guy is."

**_"Of course I do!"_**

"Then why are we runnin' around in circles and not kicking his ass already!"

**_"Have you ever heard of the phrase 'life is a journey, not a destination'?"_**

Bakugou shook his head in disbelief. "That just sounds like a bunch of shit for goop…"

**_"I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT!" _**

The former star student of Aldera Junior High clasped his hands over his ringing ears. His partner's roar was deafening and he had the weird paradox of feeling like a foghorn had gone off next to his ears even though he could hear his surroundings perfectly fine.

"God fucking damn it! Stop doing that!" Bakugou's anger rose as he noticed that all the extras around him were glancing at him like he was some crazy person. Just another happy consequence of starting this partnership. He brought his hoodie up further to hide his features. "Don't yell in my head! It gives me a migraine."

**_"...Don't call me goop and we'll be in business." _**Venom huffed in his head. **_"Look, I'm working as fast as I can. We're on his trail, so just be patient."_**

Bakugou glanced at a corner store on the side and took out his wallet. He still had some pocket money left, and he was both parched and craving something that wasn't chocolate. "I just want to get this over with. Every second we're walking around like some tourist is another those psychopaths have to wreck shit up."

**_"...I know. It's just that you're too eager, too pushy. Eddie… now he was a man who knew patience. Knew to wait the long game and play it cool…"_** Bakugou rolled his eyes as he took several bags of chips, a couple packets of condensed milk, and a ton of pop tarts.**_ "I mean, he had to! He was a reporter after all! I was always the one who was gung-ho and he helped keep me grounded! If it wasn't for him, and a bit of me, we both would've been dead…"_**

"You're doing the whole spiel again." Bakugou mumbled to himself as he gave the treats to the quivering clerk. "I don't want to hear that shit! You keep goin' on and on about this Eddie guy…"

**_"His name was Eddie Brock!"_** Bakugou groaned as his head throbbed from the rage Venom was transferring to him. **_"And he wasn't just some guy! He was a man who understood me! Who understood what made US! And now… now he's…!"_**

Bakugou glanced to the side. He couldn't believe this. It had been months since they had bonded, had dragged that Eddie guy's body a ways away and buried it deep in the woods, and Venom still couldn't move on.

_"I mean… that Eddie guy is dead. Nothing's going to change that. So why keep holdin' onto all that?"_

**_"What was that!?"_**

Bakugou handed the clerk the money for the food. "I'm saying yeah, it sucks about what happened to Eddie. But he's dead… and I'm not. You're just going to have to suck it up and get used to it."

Maybe it wasn't the kindest of words, but he was never one to mince them. He liked to think that's what made him so popular when he was a little kid. Everyone flocked to the person who could say or do anything.

Even Deku knew to fall in line because of this…

Venom was silent for a few seconds as Bakugou collected his bag and walked outside. He tore open out a bag of potato chips and began devouring the contents. 'Hello? You still there?"

**_"You're right. I'm sorry."_** Bakugou heard Venom 'sigh'. **_"It's just… it's hard to believe that half of your life is just gone. It wasn't supposed to go this way… I wasn't supposed to be here and Eddie shouldn't be buried so far from home."_**

Bakugou said nothing as he finished off the bag of chips. When he was done, he threw it into the disposal bin. "Well, you know what they say."

**_"Yeah. Caca happens. It seems like a multiversal fact."_**

Bakugou was about to agree when an announcement from a TV to his right reached his ears.

_"Just who is the new Vigilante that's causing parent groups to call for his immediate arrest?" _

Bakugou stopped in front of an electronics store and walked to the window, staring at one monitor amongst a dozen as other passerby's left him alone.

**_"Oh! Are they talking about us!? Please tell me they're talking about us!" _**

Bakugou ignored his partner as he continued to listen to the one-horned reporter. Still images were flashing by. A black blur swinging past buildings, a humanoid jumping so high that he left a crater, and the final one captured his good side.

**_"Could have used some work."_**

The image was blurry, but it was their transformed face with their eyes glaring at the picture taker. Their maw was open, showing their many teeth and long tongue.

_"The Vigilante known as Venom has been making waves, managing to defeat a large number of serial killers and Villains before fleeing the scene." _The reporter shuffled his papers. _"However, parent groups are protesting the continued freedom of this Vigilante. They claim that his face and loud, crude demands do nothing but scare children and his brutal handling of crime inspires future Heroes to do the same. Venom's captures tend to require immediate transfer to the hospital, with several already in comas due to the injuries they sustained..."_

"Oh give me a fuckin' break…" Who were these shitty adults to judge? You didn't get into the Hero business to make nice with Villains, and sure as shit not with serial killers! "I had the power to stop them, so I did it! Being a Hero is all about being the strongest, and I did just that! I showed those murdering fucks who's boss!"

**_"WE showed them who's boss. If it weren't for me you would just be whining and complaining all day and not even know who… or what they were." _**Bakugou could practically feel Venom's grin forming.**_ "Oh, and you probably would've died without our power."_**

"Yeah, right. With my Quirk I would've wrecked your buddies' shit with or without you."

_"In other news, the series of bizarre serial murders continues."_ Bakugou glared at the screen as the graphic image of a man with short-cropped blond hair and a scar running down the left side of his face appeared next to the reporter. _"The Hero known as Fourth Kind was killed with his workers in their office just last night. An officer told this station that their bodies were arranged in a pseudo-religious way with symbols drawn on the walls in their blood." _

"Shit. They're gettin' more confident." Murdering a Hero and all his sidekicks? In broad daylight no less? That either meant their ranks had swelled…

**_"Or they've gotten some heavy hitters."_**

_"DNA testing has confirmed that the Villain known as Muscular, who had escaped from his cell several weeks ago at Mandelo Penitentiary, is their killer. But police are baffled by his sudden change in M.O." _

"Looks like you were right." Bakugou grimaced. He heard of this Muscular guy before. He was a murdering psycho before he had been captured and sent to prison. He ripped apart tons of civilians and even a couple of heroes like the Water Horse duo. It surprised him that Muscular hadn't been given the needle yet, since they couldn't count on the prison population to do it themselves. He was too strong to be taken down by some low-level scum.

**_"Of course I am. I know how those sickos think. He's gathering everyone he can convince to do his bidding…"_**

_"And now on the lighter side of news, it seems as if the boy in second place of the U.A Sports Festival had reasons for costing himself victory!" _

In an instant, he had his face against the glass as he stared in disbelief at the image of a familiar green-haired teen with freckles.

"Deku…!"

**_"You know he can't hear you, right?" _**

_"Izuku Midoriya?"_ Deku jumped in place. The reporter pushed the microphone into his face. _"How does it feel to be second place in the sports festival!?"_

_"W-Well I…!"_

_"Especially against the Number 2 Hero Endeavor's son! Many people were at the edge of their seats during your battle and were shocked when you spent time convincing him to fight you at his full strength!" _

**_"What kind of idiot does that!?" _**Venom spat out in disgust. **_"If the whelp was holding himself back, then he should have taken advantage of that! Grind his face to the ground while you still had the chance! I don't get you humans…"_**

Bakugou ignored Venom and grit his teeth. Deku!? Deku had almost won the Sports Festival!? That couldn't be! Hell, he was still wrapping his head around the fact that the worthless nobody who ruined his life had the gall to apply and was accepted on top of that!

Deku looked to the side and stuttered, _"W-Well… It's not that big of a deal. He just needed some help and… and…" _Deku looked down. _"I… I had a friend who made some bad decisions. I kept thinking that if I had said something earlier... then maybe I could've… I didn't want Todoroki-kun to..."_

_"Oh!? Who's this friend!?" _

Before Deku could continue spewing shit, Bakugou thrust his fist through the window and TV. Sparks and the tinkling of shattered glass filled the air as Bakugou withdrew his hand.

**_"That was unnecessary. It was just a TV."_**

"That fucker…! He thinks he can just talk all that shit and treat me like a charity case!?" Bakugou stamped the pavement hard enough to leave a network of cracks across it. "IT SHOULD'VE BEEN ME, DEKU!"

That's right, he should be the one in U.A! He should be the one winning the Sports Festival, his awesomeness propelling him past all the nobodies to the medal he deserved! If it weren't for Deku, he probably would've had his license already!

But no, Deku was just reaping all the shit he had stolen! Treating the shitty situation Bakugou was in as some sob story!

What right did he have to moan!? He had it all. He had U.A, he had money since his shitbag parents decided to sue the hag and sadsack, and now he probably had admirers and hanger-ons!

"I should just go there and tear that fuckin' nerd a new one instead of waiting…"

**_"That's a nice plan, but maybe you should run. You did destroy a window and the shop's TV."_**

Bakugou's anger quickly deflated. Seeing what he did and watching in slow-motion as the manager began to exit the building, Bakugou booked it into a nearby alleyway. Once he was deep enough inside, he clambered up to the top of the building to his left in seconds.

Once he dusted his pants, Bakugou looked over the side to see the store owner looking around with a bewildered expression on his face.

"Fuck… I did it again."

He'd seen red and thrown his fists without a second thought.

What would've happened if people got a good look at his features or took a picture? He would've been in even deeper shit than he already was. Being a Hero was already an impossible dream, but if he kept this up he wouldn't even become a cop!

**_"Just calm yourself, partner. We'll make Deku pay for what he did. You just need to wait and…" Venom fell silent._**

"What?" Venom was usually chatty, especially about the things that pissed Bakugou off.

_**"He's close."**_

* * *

Bakugou always felt weird when he crawled walls.

First, he had to let Venom transform his hands and feet. While his transformed feet resembled black combat boots, his hands were a different story. They were slightly bigger and had same texture as flesh, but with sharpened points that weren't exactly claws but were a bit away from fingers.

It was freaky looking, to make a long story short.

"You're positive he's here, right?" Bakugou asked as he scaled the apartment complex on the tenth floor and hoisted himself onto the balcony. "I don't want to scare the shit out of the residents if this is another wild goose chase."

**_"I'm positive."_** Venom replied without any good humor.**_ 'The smell of blood is fresh and I can feel his bloodlust."_**

"I don't smell anything."

**_"Open the door and you will." _**

Bakugou walked to the glass door and slid it open. The smell hit his enhanced senses like a freight train. It was like walking into a slaughterhouse, sour and pungent. He could already taste metal as his eyes traced the trail of curdling blood leading to the living room. "Shit…"

**_"Don't talk! Don't let him know we are here!" _**

He grimaced at that. He'd been hoping to stop this sicko before he could even begin to get his rocks off, but he was too late._ "Those fucking extras! If it weren't for them, I probably would've been here sooner!" _He also would have missed that stupid interview with Deku, and that would've left him in a better mood.

Stepping through the door quietly, Bakugou passed the living room and glanced at the kitchen. Dirty dishes were piled in the sink and eggs, burnt to a crisp, continued to sizzle on the stove.

Feet were also sticking out of the fridge, and when Bakugou circled around he saw the psychopath's handiwork.

A woman no older than her mid-twenties had been disemboweled, her guts spilling between her legs. The skin of her torso had been pulled apart and pinned to her palms. It was like she'd been given a bizarre set of bat wings, or perhaps she was turned into a gruesome angel. Her throat and a chunk of her left cheek were torn open, exposing her teeth and mouth.

The dried tears that Bakugou could see from the refrigerator light showed that the woman had been awake through it all.

Bakugou closed his eyes and looked away._ "I'm sorry… I'm sorry I couldn't be here sooner…"_

**_"Now is not the time for mourning the innocent. We must go outside! One of his spawn is just in the hallway!" _**

Bakugou didn't even bother to hide his presence. He ran to the door, his jaw set and fury coursing through his veins.

**_"What are you doing, you idiot!?"_**

"Going to kick this psycho's fuckin' ass, that's what!"

Before Venom could respond or even force their shared body to stop, Bakugou flung open the door leading to the hallway.

What he saw was a grotesque arrangement lining the walls and floor.

Writing was strewn across the walls in English, Japanese, and an alien language that Bakugou could not even hope to understand. But he could assume all of them said 'God is coming', and they were all written in blood. Hands and arms were propped up without their owners, each holding a lit candle. Just above them was a blood red spiral that went on until the inner point was microscopic.

"Jesus… the entire floor?"

**_"Knowing him, the entire building is a graveyard."_**

Bakugou heard a wet thump hit the wall, and he turned to his left to see a man dressed in one of those weird-ass gimp suits and white pants at the end of the hallway. He didn't wear any shoes, and the pants were stained with blood.

The man was painting a nightmarish hybrid between a spider and a dragon on the wall. Its maw looked like two pincers were connected to a thin body. On its sides were two great 'wings' riddled with holes. Although he had tried to keep the blood out of these holes, it was a a moot gesture since the blood dripped over them. The dragon had a tail that stretched out before moving to the left, the tip curling into a bloody spiral.

**_"That's not him. It's just one of his goddamn followers!" _**Venom roared in Bakugou's mind. He cursed at that. The guy that was making these psychopaths had ditched the place!?

Well, either way, Bakugou knew that whoever this guy was… he had a part in it and needed to be put down.

"Hey! Psycho!" Bakugou flashed his best grin. "You're a hard man to find! Been lookin' all over the city for ya!"

The man stopped his handiwork and dropped the skinless arm he was using as a brush. Bakugou got a good look at the man. His entire upper body was covered in leather and belts, his lips curled back and his mouth held open by silver metal clamps.

He was chewing on a finger in the corner of his mouth with a wedding ring still attached.

"More flesh…" His voice was high and deranged. "I had enough… but then it ran out. He said I could have anyone left when I was done with my work… have it for lunch." He giggled madly. "A meal for god… and now God has brought me a meal! Flesh and bone crunching and tearing in my mouth and filling my belly! Happy days… happy days…!"

"Yeah... fuck that." Bakugou held his arms out as explosions danced along his palms."Got a name before I stamp your ass into the ground?"

The man cocked his head, seemingly perplexed by the _gall_ this newcomer had to interrupt his mad little speech… or it could have been genuine curiosity.

**_"He probably never bothered to strike up a conversation with his meals."_**

"...Moonfish." The newly named Moonfish then brought the finger into his mouth and crushed it into a red paste. The fact that there was still a wedding ring attached to it didn't seem to bother him. He instead spat it out right in front of Bakugou. "And… yours, little lamb?"

"Katsuki Bakugou."

**_"And I guess that's my cue."_**

Bakugou could feel Venom coming out of his body. The black liquid squirming its way out of his pores, eyes, and mouth as it quickly coated him.

Originally, Venom just had them wear a boring-ass onesie that had just the eyes and the logo on the chest. But Bakugou had thankfully put his foot down and demanded a change.

His feet were covered in 'boots' while his knees now had shin guards that matched his spiked elbow and shoulder guards. Around his waist was a 'belt' that had two black and white 'grenades' on each side.

Around each arm were grenade-like gauntlets with white grooves. A solid black pin jut out from each in preparation for their special move.

The logo remained the same but with a few tweaks to the design. The spiral on the end of the tail was gone, while the mouth breathed out the explosion of a nuclear bomb.

"But **_we are…"_**

He was proud of the costume. It was a fusion of what he had in mind for his Hero costume and Venom's.

It would scare the piss out of criminals… and Deku when they finished off the psychopaths.

When the transformation finished, both he and Venom grinned as one. They were now one organism, stronger in every way than the sum of its parts.

They were the scourge of killers, defender of the innocent, and a lethal protector from the shadows.

**_"...VENOM!" _**

Moonfish howled in rage, spittle and blood flying from his mouth. "YOU! The master warned me about you! The flesh of his flesh, that seeks to stop him from his wonderful work! Too rotten! Too rotten for a meal!"

Something horrible happened. Red spikes suddenly poked out from under the gimp suit until he was more of a pin-cushion than a man. They then merged, mixing and covering the serial killer and creating a suit over him. It was a simple, a solid dark red that quivered and moved every second. His open mouth became a maw of sharp black teeth.

Moonfish had no eyes for his new suit. Instead, at the center of the creature's forehead was a black spiral.

"Turn you into a trophy instead! Spill your guts and take your bones!"

**_"We would like to see you try!"_** Large holes opened on Bakugou's palms as he grabbed one of the grenades on his belt. Sweat began to pour out of the holes and was absorbed by the grenade before he threw it at Moonfish. It exploded right in front of the Villain, slamming him into the wall and leaving him screeching in pain.

**_"He's down! Let's see if we can end this quickly!" _**

Venom and his kind had a genetic weakness to fire and loud sounds. It was what made Venom desperate enough to use Bakugou as a host, because he would have died in the burning wreckage after all the animals had fled the scene.

Bonding with Bakugou had dulled these weaknesses. He was now able to shake off most loud noises so long as they weren't in the higher frequencies and flame was no longer an issue in short bursts.

It allowed the two to use Bakugou's Quirk to its fullest capabilities.

He aimed his hands back and allowed short bursts of explosions to propel him forward. Gaining speed, Bakugou raised his right leg and cut off the propulsionto let his motion carry him forward. _**"Eat thi-!"**_

**_"Wait!" _**Venom shouted through his… _their_ lips, and two tentacles came from their back. They embedded themselves in the ceiling and brought Bakugou back.

**_"What the hell!?"_** Bakugou's question was answered when Moonfish's teeth shot out, growing and hardening into black metal knives that shot at where they once were.**_ "Fucker was laying a trap for us!"_**

**_"We must never underestimate these creatures!" _**Venom agreed as Bakugou shot another tentacle through their right wrist, pulling them away as more of Moonfish's teeth grew and bent to skewer them. **_"Just as we have evolved through your Quirk… so have they!"_**

Bakugou roared as they thrust their right hand out and unleashed a chain of explosions powerful enough to shake the walls. Moonfish screamed and covered his ears, the symbiote retreating off his body to reveal the monster underneath.**_ "Does that hurt!? Good! We love it when your ilk fuckin' screams in pain! We…!" _**

Moonfish jumped onto the ceiling, his arms and legs extending and bending at unnatural angles while his hands and feet turned into hooks. He was now crawling on the ceiling toward Bakugou, his teeth shooting out to stab at the floor.

"Noisy food! Too noisy! Stop screaming and show me the flesh underneath the black!" Moonfish's anger seemed to grow with each jump back Bakugou took, avoiding his teeth by a hair's breadth. "Fight or flee! Fight or flee I'll drink your blood! Eat your life… shit out your skull..!"

**_"We have a different idea!" _**Slamming their feet onto the ground, Bakugou thrust their palms out and let the explosions rip as the teeth reached them. They broke apart like glass, shimmering as they turned into shards of burning silver metal. Bakugou and Venom jumped, rearing back their right palm as sparks came out of the pores. **_"Now we end this!" _**

"My teeth… MY TEETH!" Spikes shot out of Moonfish's body like a porcupine. Bakugou grunted while raising their right arm to protect their head, and felt the razor sharp blades embed themselves into their body.

**_"Don't worry! We will heal!"_** As if to respond to this, Moonfish shook his body and sent them through a wall. Plaster and drywall crumbled down on them as they landed on the floor of a child's bedroom. Venom then decided to helpfully add,**_ "It will still hurt, though." _**

**_"Yeah, we noticed!" _**Bakugou stopped while staring at a teenage girl cradling a four-year-old boy, still dressed in her high school uniform. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she shakily held out a knife. **_"Survivors…?" _**

"S-stay back!" The girl screamed. She hiccuped through sobs of terror as she stared at them. "I-I won't let you hurt us!"

"Nee-chan…!" The boy wailed, burying his face into her chest.

**_"Damn it!" _**This complicated things. They couldn't keep fighting Moonfish here, not with two survivors and who knew how many more who managed to find a way to hide from him.**_ "We're not here to hurt you, so put that shitty knife away!" _**

Her teeth chattered, but she did not drop her chosen weapon.

"Flesh… missing flesh?"

Bakugou's eyes widened. Moonfish was just behind them. They wouldn't have the time to convince the girl to put down the knife willingly.

They instead had a tentacle come from their left wrist and swatted the knife away. She screamed and clutched her brother as the tentacle wrapped around them. With a pull, Bakugou enveloped them in a tight hug with both arms. **_"Cover your ears!"_** Bakugou threw one of their grenades to the right, making it explode and reveal the outside world.

"Come back…! Come back! MASTER SAID NO SURVIVORS!" Bakugou ignored Moonfish as they ran through the hole and jumped outside.

**_"HOLD ONTO US!"_** They then unleashed a tentacle from their right wrist, making it wrap around a flag pole. The siblings screamed as they were swung in the air, holding onto him even though the two thought they were with a monster.

Bakugou glanced behind him and saw that Moonfish was crawling out of the hole and onto the surface of the apartment complex like a bug. Worse yet, he was making leaps and bounds to catch up. **_"Shit! He won't stop chasing us unless we do something!" _**

Bakugou glanced down and saw that the people below were screaming while pointing at them or taking pictures. Some stopping their cars in the middle of the road just to peek out from their windows…

**_"That's it!"_** Bakugou dropped into the middle of the street, creating a small crater with a spider web of cracks radiating from the center. They let go of the siblings and who were quick to flee, sobbing and most likely trying to find a Hero or a police officer.**_ "A thank you would have been nice!" _**

Bakugou turned to the car in front of them. A family was still in it and staring at them wide-eyed in horror. They slammed their fists onto the hood and screamed, **_"GET OUT!" _**

They complied, unbuckling themselves and scrambling out of the car. Once they were gone, Bakugou picked up the car and held it over their head. Moonfish was now on the street, his bladed limbs embedding themselves into the concrete as if it were tofu. **_"Yeah, well fuck you too!" _**Bakugou screamed as they jumped at Moonfish, holding the car out like a shield.

Predictably, Moonfish's teeth embedded themselves through the car. Bakugou let go, but kicked the car forward with his right foot and used it as a springboard.

**_"We'll hate this!"_** Venom whined as Bakugou balled their fists and aimed them at the car. **_"But if it means ending this, we will grin and bear it!" _**

The pins in their gauntlets released, and two explosions billowed out from their wrists. The flames hit the car, detonating it as well. Venom, Bakugou, and Moonfish screamed in agony as the sound and flame mixed into a concoction that would be the end of any symbiote and its host.

But, luckily, Bakugou and Venom were on the other side of it.

When Venom calmed down, Bakugou raced their body into the now-ruined storefront and saw Moonfish embedded into the wall. His symbiote was retreating into his body from the pain, exposing the molten metal and glass digging into his scorched body. It was almost poetic how his jaw was completely shattered and filled with broken teeth.

If it were anyone else, Bakugou would've felt sympathy.

**_"Let's end him!"_** Venom encouraged while Bakugou ripped the body out of the wall.**_ "He deserves it! For all the innocents he had killed! For their families!"_**

A part of Bakugou was determined to do just that. To be the needle that ended the psychopath's life. Nothing would make them, or his untold number of victims, happier. **_"No. We will do just what needs to be done. The cops can deal with the rest of this shit."_**

**_"Pussy." _**

Bakugou rolled their eyes before placing their foot onto Moonfish's back. A tentacle came out from his palm, stabbing the Villain in his spine before the teenage vigilante drew it back. A slimy, squirming creature with teeth bared and a spiral on its 'head' was now wriggling in their hand. **_"Bottoms up!"_**

Bakugou and Venom bit into the creature, tearing its head off as it let out a shrill scream. They chewed on it until it was silenced before popping the rest into their mouth, finishing the symbiote codex for good.

**_"One more down… a shitton to…"_**

Flames erupted around them, creating a circle of fire that stretched up to the ceiling. The rubble, the plaster, the trash… everything burned.

**_"WHAT THE FUCK!?" _**Bakugou and Venom screamed as one, getting onto their knees and bending down. Venom and Bakugou screamed as the symbiote flailed, showing bits of Bakugou's skin and clothes.**_ "Too hot… it burns! IT BURNS!"_**

"Nice to meet you… Venom…"

Bakugou stared out of his now uncovered eye to see the Flame Hero, Endeavor, stomping towards them through the fire. His face remained cold and grim as he advanced. Every step seemed to echo over the sound of crackling flames.

**_"Endeavor…"_** This was bad! Of all the Heroes to come, why did it have to be the one they were the worst match for!?

"We noticed you tended to not stick around when you throw around enough explosions to start a fire." His eyes narrowed. "That means your Quirk's weakness is fire." He shaped the fire dancing in his palms into a javelin. "Too bad… for you."

Bakugou flung their hands up. Their sweat evaporated instantly from the heat… but it was enough to create an explosion. The smoke covered their escape as they smashed through the ceiling and Bakugou propelled them into the window leading outside.**_ "Wake up, goop! We need you to be ready for another big blast!"_**

**_"Another one!?" _**

**_"If we don't want to be thrown in fuckin' jail, then yes another one!" _**Bakugou smashed through the glass and looked down to see that the cops had formed a perimeter around the building. Heroes had gathered nearby, ready to fight. Endeavor was already leaving the building, throwing fireballs and spears at Bakugou as they went over the street.

**_"Now!" _**The amount of sweat Endeavor had made Bakugou produce was about to come in handy.

The pins that had reformed on their gauntlets came out once more, but this time they aimed them at the street. The ground cracked and buckled, cars flew away or exploded themselves. Civilians held back by the cops were screaming while Endeavor was barking out orders to his fellow Heroes.

But it was too late. Now there was a gaping hole in the street.

One that lead to the sewers.

Bakugou had tentacles come out of his hands and grip the sides of the hole, propelling themselves inside and into the grey water.**_ "This is sick…" _**Despite their complaints, they ran as fast as they could.

They could hear the Heroes ordering him to surrender, but they had already left them in the dust.

**_"Damn it…!" _**Bakugou shouted.**_ "Why couldn't we be there earlier!? Why!?"_**

The people in the apartment complex… they were all dead. All of them died horribly because Bakugou was held up by the worthless extras. Worse yet, Moonfish's leader had already escaped.

They could've ended all of this if they had been at the place just a few minutes earlier…!

**_"Why… Why does everyone else have to shit on our lives!? Why can't they let us be a Hero!?" _**

Venom finally decided to speak.**_ "The world is cruel like that sometimes. The ignorant decide that you're nothing but a loser in an instant, curse you, decide that you do not belong… I went through that just because I didn't want to kill every damned thing we came across. Eddie went through that because he wanted to shove the truth down their throats… and you as well, for wanting what you worked for and deserved." _**

Deciding they were far enough, Bakugou jumped to a ladder that lead to a manhole cover. Lifting it, Bakugou had Venom recede back into him and return him to his street clothes. Bakugou kicked the manhole cover back, stuffed his hands into his sweatshirt, and casually walked away.

But his eyes were still blazing. They seethed at everything and everyone. The world, Deku, the extras, the psychopaths… and himself for allowing them to do this to him. For making him too late, for stopping him from achieving his dream.

**_"We need to fight them. To make them pay, to poison them…" _**Bakugou could feel Venom grinning from inside him.**_ "It may take time… but we WILL destroy all those that dare to threaten us! Those who have the gall to harm the innocent!"_**

Despite all the pain he was feeling, Bakugou felt himself grin. "Yeah… we'll start again tomorrow. Keep sniffing around, find him… and once we're done with your thing…"

Bakugou blended in with the crowd, merging with the organism called humanity once more as Heroes rushed past them in search for the Vigilante known as Venom.

"We'll make that shithead, Deku, pay!"

* * *

"Y'know… I was never a religious man…"

He walked down the alley of the dusty warehouse he and the family had decided to hold up in. It was a temporary dwelling, one they would abandon come next morning, but it suited the congregation.

Especially since its size was growing.

"You see…" He grinned, showing his perfectly straight and white teeth. They always said he had pretty teeth… they didn't stain no matter how many weeks he remained in solitary. "I had a pretty straightforward view of life. What ya saw was what ya got, and boy howdy! What I saw was _magnificent_."

Today, he decided to wear a throwback outfit. A long-sleeved red t-shirt, a sleeveless denim jacket, and a pair of jeans that billowed out at his ankle. He didn't bother to wear shoes. They just got in the way… and it always felt amazing when rocks, glass, and the occasional nail pierced his flesh.

He stretched his arms out as he passed through the rows of sitting people. Those who flocked to him: The homeless, the pissed, those who saw the world for what it truly was. Those who wanted a slab of the bleeding carcass of humanity.

"A world that was insane and awful, a world where a little bunny rabbit could blow out the brains of the most powerful man on Earth and dress his wife in red. A world where little Charlie and his family of hippies could go through the gate and make the rich and powerful bleed. I admired them, I wanted to _be_ them, and I wanted to _outshine_ them! Even before I got my gift I did a _damn_ fine job!"

He glanced at his gathered kin and saw the glee in their eyes, the images floating through their heads. Maybe they never set foot in the good ol' U.S. of A, but they knew what he was talking about. The awful, glorious reality that society tried so hard to hide.

"I learned nine hundred ways to cut open a human body, the songs made with bullets and the stories whispered with slit throats. I was an artist, a director of my own personal movie! And when I got my gift from that stupid reporter, I learned even more! What was once a quiet little drama flick became an action movie!"

He passed the final row of seats that only had two chairs. His top disciples, the young Himiko Toga and the man who most of this country knew as Muscular.

He had found them as he sauntered through the city streets, watching and learning. Learning the language hadn't been much trouble. His blood took in that information as it squirted his mind into his first playmate in Japan. Finding those like him… that was difficult, but oh-so rewarding.

She was gazed at him with eyes that seemed to perfectly blend lust with religious awe. She will try to kill him later tonight, and he would laugh as he let her stab him and they would have so much fun. Muscular, however, gazed upon him with admiration, paying rapt attention to every word he bellowed.

"I became the knife that slit the throat! I embodied the Dahmer eyes we gaze at the boys with! I transformed into the bullet that blew the brains out of JFK, MLK, LBJ…" He giggled. "The KKK could only stare in awe at what I could do. I learned almost a thousand more ways to kill a person and I loved every single one of them!"

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "But it became… dull. I loved the blood that squirted out from punctured hearts and the innards that land on the floor with a 'plop', but something was missing. Something that could give my life new meaning!" He snapped his fingers as he stepped behind the podium. "So I found myself a religion! I devoted my life to God, but he was no bearded man sitting in the clouds!"

He motioned to the dragon they had painted on the wall, the symbol of God.

"He was a god of darkness, a god of chaos! A god of the universe as it truly is, who ruled over a world full of such wonderfully murderous children… then they betrayed him. They betrayed this wonderful god that made the universe so interesting." He grinned and screamed, "And his name… was **_KNULL!_**"

That sent his audience into a frenzy. They roared and cheered in adulation. He soaked in their praise and the smiles plastered onto their faces.

Was this what Charlie felt when he made his family?

"Knull was a god I could get behind! He knew that the universe was nothing but screams and blood, and that only the chosen could enjoy it!" He gripped the podium. "I tried to bring him to my world, but I was denied by my 'father' and his reporter! But Knull opened a portal, gave me a chance to spread the gospel here, to give you all the chance to open the black door for him!"

He slicked back his carrot red hair as he watched Toga clap and cry tears of joy. He was the prophet to a world where she belonged. Where her love could be expressed and returned, bloodier and bloodier with no end in sight.

Taking his sharpened right pinkie nail, he dug it into his left wrist and cut the flesh down. His blood oozed out, covering his body so he could take his true form.

"We're going to do what we can to make him feel right at home! Make him know that this world is waiting, that we are ready to do his bidding! He is the end of the world as we know it, and we're his disciples raising a glass and welcoming him home!"

He was now completely covered in his blood, the red and black that gave him the claws and fangs to tear through flesh and the face that made children cry before he gutted them.

"And when he's here, boys **_and girls…"_**

Cletus Kasady, known throughout his world as Carnage, grinned wildly at his chosen.

**_"We're gonna have one hell of a time!"_**

* * *

**To Be Continued…?**

* * *

**Notes: Special thanks to reppuzan for helping me work on this surprise project!**

**This had been on my mind for a while. Bakugou is Izuku's rival, his opposite in nearly every way, so why not make him Venom in another world within the Multiverse? Of course it's not a one-to-one transition, I made sure that this alternate Bakugou had something else going for him.**

**Namely, Eddie Brock's character flaw of never taking personal responsibility for his own mistakes.**

**This Bakugou made worse choices and paid for them, and thus thrust the blame onto Izuku and the world. Now, he's not completely horrible and still has his desire to be a Hero. It's just that now, he wants to eventually take 'revenge' on Deku because, in his mind, Izuku ruined his life.**

**Yes, I based this partially on the Venom movie where there's Venom but no Spider-Man (Which I think is stupid and still consider Venom a bad movie), but I decided to take the basic premise and bits and pieces of the Danny Coates run on the current comic and run with it. **

**Carnage was weird to write, because I was trying to get into the mind and write out a deranged but charismatic serial killer, giving him a more Charles Manson mixed with Lovecraft role in the MHA world. Still, I think I managed to make it work.**

**Fun fact: The idea that Venom and Carnage end up in another world on a spaceship and cause havoc was partially inspired by the Spider-Man Unlimited cartoon. It sucked, but I decided to borrow the premise**

**Anyways, please be sure to leave your thoughts and check out the TV Tropes page!**


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